


Love Me Like You Do

by lululawrence



Category: One Direction (Band)
Genre: American AU, Cuddling & Snuggling, Fake/Pretend Relationship, Fluff, Friends to Lovers, Idiots in Love, M/M, i love it, omgosh that's an actual tag
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-01
Updated: 2017-04-01
Packaged: 2018-10-13 17:19:17
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,141
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10518303
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/lululawrence/pseuds/lululawrence
Summary: “Yeah, but is working in a field completely unrelated to what I’m educated in and what I want to do really paying my dues?  And Lou, I’m 28.  I’m 28 working a job I don’t enjoy, still living with my best friend, minutes from my mom’s house.”“You’re saying that living with me isn’t the best part of your life right now, fucker,” Louis complained, poking Harry in the ribs where he knew he was sensitive.  Harry squeaked and moved his arm to protect his side before apologizing.“I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just…”  Harry sighed.   “I feel like I’m just treading water and I have been for ages now.  I’m glad I have a job that covers what I need it to, and I’m incredibly lucky to have you with me as well, but like…”Louis waited, but the silence wasn’t filled.Or the one where it's time for Harry's ten year reunion and Louis being his fake boyfriend for the night changes things more than they expected.





	

**Author's Note:**

  * For [offwiththeirheads](https://archiveofourown.org/users/offwiththeirheads/gifts).



> Shis is a belated birthday gift for [hazzabooween](http://hazzabooween.tumblr.com)! I hope you love it, sweetie! Sorry it's late, but I love you despite that :)
> 
> Thanks as always to [Tin](http://silentlarryshipper.tumblr.com) for helping me come up with the idea and being a great cheerleader and to [Molly](http://becomeawendybird.tumblr.com) for being an amazing last minute beta! As always, all remaining mistakes are my own, I don't own any of the characters except those I created myself, blah blah blah.
> 
> The title comes from Ed Sheeran's song Friends. Enjoy!

“That’s it.  I’m not going.”  Harry slammed his laptop shut and stormed out of the room, leaving Louis sitting on the couch alone and confused.  Harry had been a bit touchy for days now, and that wasn’t all that unusual really, but he’d been getting progressively worse and Louis was about to just leave and stay with Niall and Zayn for the rest of the week if Harry didn’t pull his act together.

Harry and Louis had been best friends since they were babies.  Their moms had been very close when the kids were younger and that meant at least twice-weekly play dates for the kids growing up.  Harry was always a bit volatile emotionally and Louis was uncontrollable with his manic energy from time to time, but they worked well with each other and usually were able to help keep the other in check.  High school came and despite going to different schools, their friendship was as close as ever.  Everyone thought things would finally blow up when they announced they were going to be roommates at college, but it did nothing but bring them closer.  Even now, years after graduating school and working actual adult jobs, they were still together in a shitty apartment.

Most of the time things worked great, Harry did the cleaning, Louis did the shopping and cooking, and they took turns with the trash and laundry, but Louis hadn’t been able to break Harry out of this funk for awhile.  This one was even worse than after Harry’s last breakup, and that had been pretty bad.

Louis turned off the episode of The IT Crowd he’d thought they’d been enjoying together and just listened to see if Harry was on one of his rampages that caused him to reorganize his room or if he was just sulking on his bed.  Thankfully, it sounded like the latter. 

Louis stood up and readjusted his clothes before slowly making his way down the hall.  Harry had left his door open and was starfished on his bed, like he knew Louis would be coming soon after.  Louis hadn’t even reached the doorway of his room before Harry spoke, head still buried in the bedsheets.

“Sorry I’m being annoying.”  

Louis was always amazed at how in tune they were regarding the other.  It was like they had a sense for when the other was in the same room.  They were always able to find each other in a crowded room or knew when the other came closer.  It was slightly uncanny, but it was how they worked.  Louis smiled before huffing a sigh in mock frustration and then jumped so he landed right on top of Harry and made them both bounce.

Harry squawked and blindly batted his arm around trying to hit Louis.  Louis cackled in his ear, rolled off Harry to his side, and propped his head up on his hand.  

“Come on, Haz.  What’re you not going to?”

Harry turned his face so his cheek was smushed against his quilt and rolled his eyes.  “You’re gonna say I’m being stupid, but my High School Reunion.”

Louis made a face.  “Mine was so boring last month, but it was still good to go and see a few people.  Why aren’t you going?  I thought you were planning on it?”

Harry whined and curled up so his head was leaning against Louis’ chest.  It had to be uncomfortable, but they’d cuddled in worse positions so he let it be.

“Because I’ve been catching up with some people and I’m realizing I’m like the least accomplished person in the entire school.  I can’t go back and be like, ‘Yeah, I graduated with a degree in Psychology and now I work for a medical billing company that makes me wanna claw my eyes out, but at least it pays enough for me to cover the bills every month.’”

“What do you mean?  Why not?” Louis laid down on his back and pulled Harry with him so he could pet his hair easily.  Louis loved Harry’s long hair, it was so soft and shiny.  “Everyone has to pay their dues.”

“Yeah, but is working in a field completely unrelated to what I’m educated in and what I want to do really paying my dues?  And Lou, I’m 28.  I’m 28 working a job I don’t enjoy, still living with my best friend, minutes from my mom’s house.”

“You’re saying that living with me isn’t the best part of your life right now, fucker,” Louis complained, poking Harry in the ribs where he knew he was sensitive.  Harry squeaked and moved his arm to protect his side before apologizing.

“I didn’t mean it like that, it’s just…”  Harry sighed.   “I feel like I’m just treading water and I have been for ages now.  I’m glad I have a job that covers what I need it to, and I’m incredibly lucky to have you with me as well, but like…”

Louis waited, but the silence wasn’t filled.  Harry just snuggled closer to his side instead of saying anything.  In times like these, Louis knew he needed to prod even if Harry didn’t particularly want him to.  It was hard for Harry to say things out loud sometimes, but he always felt better after doing so.  Louis could usually tell by the way Harry looked like a weight had lifted from his shoulders.  This time would be no different, Louis hoped.

“But what?”

Harry hid his head in Louis’ armpit and said something so soft Louis couldn’t understand it.  

“What the hell are you doing down there?  My stinky armpit is no place for you.  Come on, I couldn’t understand what you said.  But what?”

Harry refused to move his position, his nose beginning to tickle Louis a bit, but Louis just patted his shoulders in what he hoped was a soothing move and eventually Harry cleared his throat and said it a bit louder this time.

“But I don’t even have a boyfriend.”

At that, Louis’ heart sank.  Harry had had a rough time in high school and had been the butt of quite a few jokes by the so-called popular kids.  Most of it was just because he was different and not explicitly because he was gay, but it still made him unsure of himself all around for quite some time.  Because of that, being in a relationship was often how Harry had come to deem himself as being of worth, and Louis had thought they’d worked through the worst of that, but sometimes it still came back to bite them.  

“You don’t have to have a boyfriend, Haz.”  Louis knew he was just repeating the same line he always gave, but he had to.  What else was he supposed to do?  “You’re more than incredible enough on your own.”

Harry huffed out a breath that really did tickle Louis this time, so he couldn’t help clamping his arm shut and pulling away from Harry with a giggle.  

“What the fuck, Harold!” Louis cried through his laughter.  “God, I really need you to stay away from those things, they’re likely to kill you at some point and I’m sensitive there!”

Harry laughed back, and Louis was glad to hear he could find amusement in something at least.

“Sorry, Lou.  But really, I know I’m enough without a partner, but I just really would feel better if I felt like I at least had that to lean on, you know?  I might not have my dream job, but look at this gorgeous man who loves me!”  Harry said the last part sitting on his bed, overly animated like a caricature of himself.

“Well if that’s all you need, then just take me and say I’m your boyfriend.  No one will know the difference,” Louis teased.

Harry stayed quiet and when Louis looked up to Harry’s face, Louis could see the little line that showed up between Harry’s brows whenever he was deep in thought.  Was he actually taking Louis’ offer seriously?  Louis would absolutely do it for him, but there had never been anything more than the best of friendship between them and Louis wasn’t sure they could pull it off successfully.

“I think…”  Harry took a deep breath and then his worried green eyes met Louis’.  “If you’re willing, that actually might help me feel a lot better.”

Louis nodded.  “Okay, then.  I’m in.  When’s the reunion?”

“Saturday evening.  They rented out Huntington Park.”

Louis’ eyebrows raised.  “Damn, they rented the entire baseball stadium?  All my high school did was meet at a bar for the night.  Fancy.  Okay then.”  Louis got up onto his knees, held his hands clasped to his chest, and said in a loud announcer’s voice, “Harold Edward Mergatroid Filthy Styles, will you be my boyfriend for the night of your high school reunion?”

Harry’s smile couldn’t have been wider.  He leaned forward and wrapped Louis in one of his signature hugs and, as Louis melted into his familiar embrace, he said, “Of course, Lou.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

“Oh wow, the parking for this is literally right next to the stadium, isn’t it?”  Louis showed the pass they’d purchased ahead of time to the attendant and found his way into a spot.  “This is pretty sick, Haz.”

They stepped out of the car and Louis made sure his shirt and pants hadn’t gotten wrinkled.  Harry had insisted it wasn’t anything fancy they needed to dress up for, but Louis wanted to make sure that he looked good.  After all, Harry deserved the best out of his fake boyfriend.

“It’s just the minor league team’s stadium, it’s not completely crazy, but yeah.  It is pretty cool, isn’t it?”  They found the table set up with Harry’s class president’s parents manning it.

“Harry Styles!  I haven’t seen you in ages!  How are you?”  Louis couldn’t help but smile when the older woman leaned over the table to give him a big hug.  “Mark said you’d be here and I’m so glad you are.  How are you, sweetie?”

Harry talked easily while Louis handed the tickets to her husband and he pointed to the nametags they were both supposed to wear.  Nice.

Louis smirked and filled one out for both of them before sticking one on his chest and then reaching between Harry’s waving arms to pat his on his chest.  

Realizing he’d not introduced Louis, Harry reached over and put his arm around Louis’ shoulders and squeezed him tight.  “Sorry!  Louis, this is Mark’s mom and dad, Annette and Carl Firthing.  Annette used to babysit me when your mom couldn’t, so she’s known me for ages.  Annette, this is my b...oyfriend Louis.”  Harry looked at Louis with a panicked look over his almost slip up.  

Louis chuckled and offered his hand to Annette and Carl.  “Hello, very nice to meet you.”

“Yes!  Very nice!  Well go on up, Mark has spent a lot of effort in making sure tonight went smoothly for everyone, so enjoy!”  They nodded and waved before heading into the park and following the signs to reach the club level where the festivities were being held.

“Fuck me,” Harry whispered as they walked in.  The lighting was dimmed and a DJ was playing music in the corner, likely to get louder and create more of a club setting as the night went on.  There was a bar in the center, creating a great gathering place for those not ready to dance, and around the edges of the space there were tables completely covered in finger foods and snacks.  “Mark really went all out.  This is nice.”

“Far better than mine,” Louis laughed.  They had just decided to grab a small plate to start when someone called Harry’s name.

“Harry!  Over here!”

They both turned around and found a gorgeous brunette walking up to them.  “Oh my God, Harry!  Look at you!”

Harry blushed and looked down at himself.  Louis couldn’t help smirk, because he knew exactly what she was talking about.  When Harry had graduated high school, he’d still been coming into himself, all gangly legs and round face, fluffy curls galore.  He’d not only grown several inches since then, but his face had become far more chiseled, and with his hair and clothes done as they were tonight, he looked like he’d walked out of a movie.  Not exactly the awkward 18 year old she’d seen last.

“Here I thought maybe you only posted those artsy fartsy photos to your facebook and instagram because you had something to hide, but no!  You’re fucking gorgeous!”

Louis snickered at the blush now covering Harry’s cheeks.  “I...uhm…”

“And who’s this?”  It was like she had only noticed Louis because he made a sound.  He got it, Harry was like a magnet.  Louis couldn’t blame her for being consumed by him.  “Hi, I’m Claire.”

“Hi, Claire.  I’m Harry’s boyfriend, Louis.”  

Claire’s eyebrows rose and a smirk came on her face.  “I always knew he’d snag a pretty one.”

Now it’s Louis’ turn to blush.  

“Leave the man alone, Claire,” Harry said, reaching over and grabbing Louis’ hand.  Poor man had a sweaty palm.  He really was nervous about this.  “Is everyone else here?”

“Of course!” She laughed and nodded towards the seating area Louis had overlooked before.  “Come on.  We already decided if this sucks, we’ll just leave and head over to the Short North and bar hop for the rest of the night.”

“Perfect,” Harry said under his breath.  Louis just tightened his hand in support and followed Harry’s friend to where the rest of the group was hanging out.

“Hey everyone, look who finally decided to join us!” 

A small group consisting of around six people turned their heads and cheered upon seeing Harry.  They all stood and took turns giving hugs and introducing themselves to Louis as well as introducing their own significant others, if they brought them.  

“Fuck, Harry.  Go grab some food and come back and chat some, yeah?” the girl Louis  _ thinks _ was introduced as Deanna said.  

Harry took Louis’ hand again and lead them back to the tables.

“Okay, so I just realized we don’t have a story for us,” Harry said as quietly as he could with the music playing.  “I didn’t worry so much about this before because I figured we’d just hold hands and cuddle on the couch and we’d be fine, but as nosy as Claire is, she’ll ask how we got together and how long it’s been and all that.”

Louis added a piece of pizza to his plate along with the little pastry puffs and considered.  

“Well, it could be a recent thing, yeah?  Like, it just kinda happened and we finally had the discussion and made it official like...a few weeks ago?”

Harry seemed to consider the option while debating the merits of tortilla chips versus potato chips.  “Yeah, they always say have the lies stick as close to the truth as possible.  If we say it’s a recent thing, if our physical stuff comes off as awkward then we could blame it on the being a new couple thing.”

“Yeah, that’s good thinking actually.  Okay, so a few weeks ago it is.”  They finished filling their plates and headed back over to where the rest of the group was waiting for them impatiently.

“Come on!  We’re going to pretend to let you eat while we really interrogate you,” Claire said, laughing.

“What?  Have you finished the questions on everyone else so I’m all that’s left?” Harry asked.  He was probably just frustrated that he was going to be front and center of his entire friend group, which he hadn’t wanted to begin with, but too late now.

“Nah, you’re just more interesting,” Laura teased.  “But really, Louis, are you the same Louis he wouldn’t shut up about in high school?”

Louis’ eyes went wide.  “Uhm, probably?  We’ve been best friends for as long as I can remember, so…”

“I mean.  I did talk about you a lot.  Still do, really,” Harry said with a shrug as he popped another chip in his mouth.  

“Course you do.  I mean, it’s me.  I’m epic,” Louis said with a swish of his wrist.

“Epically big headed,” Harry amended.

“Oh, this is great,” Deanna said, smile wide and brown curls wild.  Based just on her demeanor and how she interacted with her husband, Louis felt he’d probably get along with her well.  “Have you been together long?”

Louis shoved the pizza in his mouth at that point so Harry had to take point on that one.  “Oh, uhm.  Well, we’ve been friends since we were babies, like Louis said, but we were always just friends.  And then over the past few months things just started to, like, change.  We didn’t actually talk about it though until a few weeks ago, so yeah.  We’re still fairly new.  Like, as a couple.”

“See, I find this fascinating,” John, Deanna’s husband, said.  He leaned forward so his arms rested on his knees, as if he needed to get closer to the action.  “I always thought it would be ridiculously hard to change how I thought about someone if I didn’t at least somewhat have those feelings for them from the very beginning.  Was there like a big moment where you realized or was it just small changes that made it occur, do you think?”

Louis didn’t even have time to freak out over the question before Harry started to speak, thankfully.

“Yeah, that makes sense.  Especially since we’ve known each other for our entire lives.  But like, the way I’ve always considered Louis has been in constant rotation, you know?”  Harry set his plate down on the small table beside his seat, probably figuring he’d never get to it anyway.  “We are always changing as people, so our relationship is always changing.  I don’t know what exactly caused this particular change in our relationship, just that suddenly when he smiled so wide that his eyes crinkled became one of the most important parts of my day.  The small touches we shared began to mean more to me.  I found myself wanting to always be close to him, feeling his warmth.  You know?  It wasn’t anything huge, but it finally came to a point where that bond that we always had, the one I thought everyone had with their best friend, came to be recognized as something way more deep.  It wasn’t just a platonic love, but a love that I would have towards a partner.  I’d never felt that way towards any of my previous boyfriends, and I finally figured out the reason why was because I already had it with Louis.”

Louis just stared at Harry.  How the  _ fuck _ did he just come up with that on the spot?

“You do say some shit,” Louis said, completely unfiltered.  His eyes went wide and he began to freak out.  What the hell was he thinking saying that?  Did he just blow their cover?  Fuck, everyone was going to know they damn well weren’t together, now!

Louis was just about to get up and run when Harry did his signature honking laugh and pulled Louis into him for a forced snuggle.  Louis had to say it wasn’t entirely unwanted at that point.  Smelling Harry’s aftershave combined with the citrus scent of his bodywash helped Louis’ heart rate slow almost immediately.  Once he calmed down, Louis could hear the others were laughing as well.  

“Oh my God, Harry.  That was so sappy.  No wonder he called you out on it!  Is he like this all the time?”

Louis didn’t know who asked that since he was still trying to burrow into Harry, but he nodded his head and tried to look out in order to answer, embarrassed or not.  “Only on special occasions and days that end in y.”

He got a laugh for that, and laughter Louis could work with.  He leaned up into Harry’s space and whispered, “Sorry.  Didn’t actually mean to say that.”

Harry smiled back and just nodded.

“So, anyway, guess what Sam told me actually happened with Mr. Jones and his wife!”

With the focus finally taken off of the two of them, Louis relaxed back and found he no longer had an appetite.  He handed his plate to Harry who just automatically placed it with his.  Louis then set his arm on the back of the couch so he could play with Harry’s hair.  He had just gotten comfortable when the lights suddenly lowered and the music got louder with a voice yelling into a mic as well..

“Who’s ready to have a dance party?” 

Music that defined their high school years began to play and Harry turned to Louis.  “Wanna grab a drink and then go out to the dance floor?”

“Yeah, sure.”

 

*~~***~~*

 

Louis was hot.  Louis was hot and sweating and drunk and having a blast.  Harry’s class reunion was far better than his could ever have dreamed to be.

Louis turned around so he was facing Harry again instead of just grinding his bum into him and as he laced his hands behind Harry’s neck he leaned in and asked, “How’d you come up with all that shit you said earlier?”

What Harry had said about the small changes he’d noticed?  That had really been niggling at Louis all night.  Mostly because when he thought about it, similar things had happened with him recently.  He hadn’t come to any conclusions, though.  He just preferred to not think about it.  Had Harry actually been thinking that this whole time?

“I dunno.  I just kinda did.”  Harry shrugged and pulled Louis in closer by his hips.  They’d gone to enough clubs together throughout college to know exactly how they danced together, and it was nice.  Comfortable.  But tonight there was something different, too.

“Did you mean it?”  This was the important part now.  If he said no, then Louis would just try to make himself forget it, if that was possible now.  But if he said yes?  Well.  That would take some more investigation and talking.

“I mean...yeah?  I guess so.”  Harry stopped dancing.  “Come talk where it’s quieter?”

Louis nodded and let Harry take his hand again.  They’d always held hands a lot, but now that Louis was thinking about it, they had started doing it more frequently when they were out together recently.  It was just second nature, though.  They needed to get somewhere, and they held onto each other.  Harry would tease it was because Louis would get easily distracted, but Louis knew it was really just because Harry had a horrible sense of direction.  

Once they found the walkway that lead to the stairs for the exit, the music was finally quiet enough they didn’t have to yell.  Harry immediately pulled Louis closer so he could hug him while they talked.

“Here’s the thing, Lou.  I had noticed those things.  All of them.  So yeah, that’s true.  But that last part?  The part about realizing that I loved you as a partner more than I’d ever cared for any of my previous boyfriends?  That only slid into place tonight.  While I was talking.  You know how I am, I seem to do my best thinking when I’m talking out loud.  And that really was some of my best thinking.”  

Harry pulled back at this so he could look Louis in the eyes and damn.  His eyes were the brightest he’d seen them in weeks.  Seeing them that clear and beautiful made him tear up a little in anticipation of what he was about to say.

“But Lou, I get it if you don’t feel the same.  This is a lot to throw on you at once, and it honestly hit me like a truck.  I had no idea even I felt this way until tonight, but it’s like...it’s like I was looking through some lenses while getting my eyes checked.  You know how the doctor makes you choose one or two and the letters get more and more clear as you find the right ones for you?  It’s kinda like that.  It was like I had the wrong prescription on that made me think you meant one thing to me, but as soon as he flipped it to the right prescription I saw that you really meant  _ everything.” _

Louis blinked the tears that had somehow filled his eyes during his speech.  He tried to wipe them away, but Harry just held onto his hands even tighter and leaned their foreheads together.

“Please say something.”

Louis took in a shuddery breath before he whispered, “I love you too,” and leaned up to give Harry a soft kiss.  It was their first, but Louis knew it most definitely wasn’t going to be their last.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you so much for reading! I hope you liked it. If you did, please leave kudos and/or a comment, they give an author life, and I will particularly love you if you share the [fic post](http://lululawrence.tumblr.com/post/159083663443/love-me-like-you-do-by-lululawrence-yeah-but-is).


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